Municipal councils nationwide are encouraged to join the e-Legis Reference System, an online portal of the Vice Mayors League of the Philippines (VMLP).

VMLP national vice chair and Lambunao Vice Mayor Arvin Losaria, in an interview on Monday, said the e-Legis is a nationwide initiative for municipal councils to help them cope with the challenge of technological advancement.

A partnership with the University of the Philippines Center for Local and Regional Governance, e-Legis aims to have an efficient archive of all local ordinances nationwide, more efficient crafting of legislation and replication of best practices from other local government units.

“It would help members of our sanggunian (council) and presiding officers to be paperless advocates for faster access of existing ordinances of various municipal councils nationwide,” he said.

Currently, over 50 percent of the municipal councils in Western Visayas are on board the online platform.

“They were happy with this initiative because they believe that the best way to empower our citizenry is to have an informed municipal council. The best way to have capacitated municipal councils is for them to be equipped with this technological advancement,” Losaria said.

The online portal will be launched nationwide next month.

“I am appealing to the members of the municipal council in the entire Western Visayas and the country to support the program,” he said.

Earlier this month, the Department of the Interior and Local Government issued Memorandum Circular No. 1016-041, encouraging city and municipal mayors, vice mayors and Local Sanggunian (city councils) to submit electronic copies of their ordinances, resolutions, and other legislative issuances for inclusion in the e-Legis Reference System. (PNA)